Bylaws

Adopted by the faculty May 2, 1991
Revised April 24, 2013
Revised April 24, 2018
Revised April 23, 2024

  1. NAME
  2. POWERS AND DUTIES
  3. MEMBERSHIP AND VOTING RIGHTS
  4. OFFICERS
  5. MEETINGS OF THE FACULTY
  6. COMMITTEES
  7. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
  8. AMENDMENT AND REVISION OF BYLAWS

I. NAME

The name of this assembly shall be the Faculty of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

II. POWERS AND DUTIES

The Faculty shall have such powers and duties as may be lawfully delegated to it and those which the Faculty has been accustomed to exercise. Among the powers and duties of the Faculty are the following:

  1. To establish rules for the conduct of its business.
  2. To establish policies for the governance of the College in its internal administration.
  3. To elect the Secretary of the Faculty.
  4. To determine the composition of committees except as hereinafter specified for the conduct of Faculty business and to assign functions and responsibilities to them.
  5. To assign functions and responsibilities to the Executive Committee of the College.
  6. To recommend creation within the College of subordinate units such as Schools whose faculty shall have the fullest measure of autonomy consistent with the maintenance of general College policy and correct academic and administrative relations with other units within the University.
  7. To establish the academic policy of the College,
    1. exercising jurisdiction in all educational matters falling within the scope of its programs, including the determination of its curricula, and
    2. making recommendations on matters of educational policy relevant to the College but which fall under the jurisdiction of other bodies.

These Bylaws are intended to supplement the University Statutes. Where it appears there may be conflicts, the Statutes as interpreted by the Chancellor on advice of the Campus Legal Counsel must prevail.

III. MEMBERSHIP AND VOTING RIGHTS

  1. The Faculty consists of those members of the academic staff who are tenured or receiving probationary credit toward tenure, with the rank or title in the College of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, the Dean, the President, the Chancellor, the Provost, Directors of Schools within the College, and such other members of the University Faculty as the Chancellor may assign thereto. Administrative staff are members of the Faculty only if they also hold such faculty appointments. The Dean of the College, on the advice of the College Executive Committee, may add to the Faculty a representative of any other department or group as may be entitled to representation by virtue of participation in the program of instruction in the College. In making this appointment, the Dean will consult with the executive officer of the department or group thus entitled to representation. The Executive Committee of the College, in consultation with the Dean and in accordance with University Statutes shall determine the Faculty membership and voting rights of those with academic rank or title in the College who are not tenured or receiving probationary credit toward tenure.
     
  2. All members of the Faculty as defined in paragraph A shall be entitled to participate in meetings of the Faculty by voice and by vote.
     
  3. Administrative staff bearing the title of Associate Dean, Assistant Dean, and Associate Director or Assistant Director of a School within the College and who are not included within the definition of members of the faculty in paragraph A, together with Emeritus Faculty, Visiting Faculty, and student representatives on standing committees, shall be accorded voice but not vote at Faculty meetings.
     
  4. All members of the Faculty as defined in paragraph A shall be entitled to participate in electronic voting such as when a secret, written ballot is required by the University Statutes. Ballots shall be distributed, returned, and counted by the procedures designed to assure a secret vote, with sufficient time for the voting faculty to participate. Such resolutions shall be passed on a simple majority vote.

IV. OFFICERS

  1. The Dean
    1. As chief executive officer of the College, responsible for its administration, the Dean is the agent of the Faculty for the execution of College educational policy.
       
    2. The Dean shall perform the functions required by Article III Section 3.d. of the Statutes. In particular the Dean shall:
      1. Formulate and present policies to the Faculty for its consideration, but this shall not be interpreted to abridge the right of any member of the Faculty to present any matter to the Faculty.
      2. Report to the Faculty on the work of the College.
      3. Serve as the medium of communication for all official business of the College with other campus authorities, the students, and the public.
      4. Represent the College in conferences or designate representatives for specific conferences.
      5. Prepare the budget of the College and provide annual update to the Executive Committee and faculty.
      6. Recommend the appointment, reappointment, non-reappointment, or promotion of officers and members of the teaching staff. In these matters the Dean shall review recommendations received from appropriate governance bodies within all schools, departments, or other units involved.
      7. Make recommendations to the Provost regarding the appointment of Associate and Assistant Deans and Directors of Schools and unit executive officers.
      8. In the case of administrative officers within the College who are required to be reappointed annually, obtain the advice of the appropriate governance body of the unit concerned regarding such reappointment and transmit this advice to the Provost.
      9. Initiate review of the performance of administrative officers within the College at such times as are mandated by the Statutes.
    3. The performance of the Dean shall be evaluated at the least every five years in a manner determined by the College Faculty and in accordance with the statutes and guidelines adopted by the Urbana-Champaign Senate.
       
  2. Secretary
    1. The Secretary of the Faculty shall be nominated annually by the Executive Committee from among the Faculty and the Associate Deans of the College and may serve successive terms. In the call for the first regular meeting in each academic year the name of the candidate shall be announced. Additional nominations may be received from the floor. The Secretary shall serve until a successor is elected and qualified.
       
    2. Duties of the Secretary shall be to:
      1. Distribute to members of the Faculty, and such other persons as the Dean or Executive Committee may direct, all notices, calls, agenda, and minutes of all Faculty meetings.
      2. Record and preserve minutes of all meetings of the Faculty, the votes taken therein, special reports, and all other official actions.
      3. Preserve on file all documents which are made part of the proceedings of Faculty meetings.
      4. Notify committees of all business referred to them by action of the Faculty, furnish them documents and papers laid before the Faculty relating to such business, and preserve all reports of committees to the Faculty.
      5. Conduct the balloting and report the results to the Faculty for all elections.
  3. Parliamentarian 
    1. The Dean shall appoint annually the Parliamentarian for the Faculty.
    2. The Parliamentarian shall advise the Dean and the Faculty on questions of parliamentary procedure.
  4. Officers of the College
    For the purposes of these Bylaws, the term "Officers of the College" shall include any members of the College administrative staff so designated by the Dean.

V. MEETINGS OF THE FACULTY

  1. Regular Meetings
    1. Presiding Officer
      The Dean shall be the presiding officer. In the Dean's absence, the designee of the Dean, normally the Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee, shall preside.
       
    2. Frequency
      There shall be at least one regular meeting each semester, with the dates to be fixed by the Dean and announced at the beginning of each semester.
       
    3. Call and Notice
      1. Regular meetings shall be called by the Dean.
      2. The Secretary shall furnish members entitled to vote in meetings the agenda of each meeting at least five calendar days prior to the meeting.
    4. Agenda and Order of Business
      1. Agenda. Items may be placed on the agenda in any of the following ways:
        1. By the Dean
        2. By the Executive Committee
        3. By any member of the Faculty who wishes to petition that an item be included on the agenda of a regular meeting provided that such item shall be submitted to the Dean at least ten calendar days before the scheduled date of the meeting and that the Dean, in consultation with the Executive Committee, shall consider and may schedule inclusion of such item on the agenda or may refer such item to an appropriate committee. This provision shall not abridge the right of any member of the Faculty to present any matter at any regular meeting under the appropriate heading of "old" or "new" business (see section 6 below).
      2. The order of business for a regular meeting shall be determined by the Dean in consultation with the Executive Committee.
    5. Quorum
      At regular meetings, the quorum shall consist of those members present and entitled to vote.
       
    6. New Business
      1. Items introduced as new business at any regular meeting shall be introduced in the form of a resolution. No such resolution shall be debated or adopted at the regular meeting at which it is introduced, but shall be referred by the Dean to the appropriate committee or shall be scheduled for consideration at the next regular meeting of the Faculty. The sponsor in introducing the proposal may speak for not more than ten minutes in explanation of the purpose of the resolution.
      2. Items submitted to committees by individuals, departments, or other academic units may be reported out at the discretion of the committee, except that any member may introduce a motion under the heading of new business to compel a report on a given matter at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
    7. Voting at Regular Meetings 
      1. The right to vote shall be limited to those present and entitled to vote as defined by Article III.
      2. Resolutions shall be passed and uncontested elections determined by vote of those present and voting, except as may be hereinafter provided.
      3. Voting shall be by voice vote of Yeas and Nays, but a division may be ordered by the presiding officer or when requested by a member present and entitled to vote.
      4. Elections in which a contest exists shall be voted by paper ballot.
      5. A motion to employ a paper ballot in voting on a resolution is non-debatable and shall require a majority vote.
    8. Observers
      1. Except as limited below, persons not entitled to vote may attend meetings as observers to the extent that space permits.
      2. If the Dean judges separate seating to be necessary, persons attending a meeting as observers will be seated in a designated area separate from the voting members.
      3. Observers may, with the consent of a majority vote of members of the assembly in attendance, be given the right to speak for no more than five minutes on any matter before the body.
      4. The Faculty, by a majority vote of those present at any meeting, may determine that any item on the agenda shall be considered in executive session. Only voting members and Officers of the College shall be present in executive session.
         
  2. Special Meetings 
    1. Call 
      1. Special meetings may be called by the Dean, by the Executive Committee, or by resolution made and approved in a regular meeting.
      2. Upon receipt of a written petition of 50 or more members entitled to vote, the Dean shall call a special meeting within ten working days.
      3. A petition for a special meeting shall include the proposed agenda and/or resolution(s) to be proposed, with any supporting documentation. One person among the signatories thereto shall be designated as responsible for such consultations concerning scheduling and arrangements as may be required.
    2. Notice
      The notice provisions for a special meeting shall be the same as for a regular meeting, including the provisions for distribution of the agenda, with the following exceptions:
      1. All notices of special meetings shall be plainly marked "Special Meeting."
      2. Should a situation require immediate action, the Dean, with the consent of a majority of the Executive Committee, may designate a special meeting as an emergency meeting; notices of an emergency meeting must be sent to members entitled to vote not less than 24 hours before the hour set for such meeting and must be plainly marked "Emergency Meeting."
    3. Agenda
      The agenda items for special meetings shall be confined to the items listed on the call for the meeting, and the discussions and actions at such a meeting shall be limited thereto.
       
    4. Quorum
      At special Faculty meetings at least 100 members entitled to vote must be present for final action to be taken on the main motion.
       
    5. Other Procedural Matters
      Other provisions for voting, balloting and observers shall be the same for special meetings as for regular meetings.

VI. COMMITTEES

  1. Electoral Groups
    1. For purposes of nomination and election to committees, the Faculty of the College is divided into eight electoral groups as follows:
      • Group I: Classics, History, Philosophy, and Religion
      • Group II: English, African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Asian American Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies, and Latina/Latino Studies
      • Group III: Comparative and World Literature, East Asian Languages and Cultures, French and Italian, Germanic Languages & Literatures, Linguistics, Slavic Languages & Literatures, and Spanish and Portuguese
      • Group IV: Anthropology, Communication, Political Science, and Sociology
      • Group V: Economics, and Psychology
      • Group VI: School of Integrative Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology
      • Group VII: School of Earth, Society and Environment, and the School of Chemical Sciences
      • Group VIII: Astronomy, Mathematics, and Statistics
    2. For purposes of nomination and election to committees, members of the faculty appointed by the Dean under Article III, Section A, to represent college-approved programs of instruction from outside the college shall be considered to belong to the electoral groups as follows:
      • Group I: Art History
      • Group VII: Physics
      • Group VIII: Computer Science
  2. Voting Procedures
    All elections to College Committees shall be carried out under the direction of the Secretary of the Faculty. Ballots shall be distributed, returned, and counted by procedures designed to assure a secret vote. The Secretary will announce the results of the elections for the Executive Committee and Faculty Appeals Committee electronically.
     
  3. Restriction of Eligibility
    Only Faculty with at least a half-time appointment in the College shall be eligible for election to the Executive Committee, the Faculty Appeals Committee, and the Nominations Committee. No individual shall be eligible for election to two consecutive full terms on any one of these three committees, but no such restriction shall apply to service on standing committees. Faculty with joint appointments shall be eligible for election in the Group in which they hold their primary appointment.
     
  4. Executive Committee
    1. Membership
      1. The Executive Committee shall consist of eight members elected for two-year staggered terms by and from the Faculty.
      2. Only tenured members of the faculty holding the rank of Professor shall be eligible for election to the Executive Committee.
      3. The Dean is a member ex-officio and chairs the Executive Committee. A Vice-Chair, to preside in the Dean's absence, shall be elected by the Executive Committee from among its members. When the Executive Committee meets to prepare or give advice to the Chancellor and President on the appointment or reappointment of the Dean or to review the Dean's performance, the Dean shall not be present and the Committee shall be chaired by the Vice-Chair.
      4. The Executive Committee may appoint a secretary from outside its membership to keep a record of its proceedings. Such an individual shall not have a vote.
    2. Duties
      The duties of the Executive Committee shall include those prescribed by the University Statutes and these Bylaws. Principally, these obligations include the following:
      1. Assist and advise the Dean in the conduct of College business, including the preparation of agenda for meetings of the Faculty, the calling of special meetings, and the determination of the status of an appointee where doubt exists as to eligibility for voting membership in the Faculty.
      2. Advise the Dean on appointments of tenured faculty, and promotions of the Faculty upon receipt of recommendations from all schools, departments, or other units involved.
      3. Advise upon proposals pertaining to programs, departments, or other academic units.
      4. Advise Provost, the Chancellor, and the President on each recommendation of appointment or reappointment of the Dean of the College.
      5. Consult annually with the Dean on the budget of the College.
      6. Act ad interim in the name of the Faculty in an emergency situation; each such action shall be reported to the Faculty at its next regular meeting.
      7. Act for the Faculty on recommendations from the Courses and Curricula Committee concerning program proposals and academic policy following procedures approved by the Faculty.
    3. Nominations
      1. Members will serve two-year staggered terms beginning August 16 of the year they are elected. Nominations and elections shall be conducted in the spring semester. Members representing even-numbered electoral groups will be elected in even-numbered years and those from odd-numbered groups will be elected in odd-numbered years.
      2. No more than two members of the Executive Committee shall be executive officers of schools, departments, or other units of instruction.
      3. There shall be one member from each of the eight electoral groups. In any one year, nominees must belong to those electoral groups represented by members whose terms will expire that year.
      4. Persons elected to the Executive Committee shall be nominated by and from the Faculty of the College. Each nomination shall be made by a petition signed by eight members of the Faculty and addressed to the Secretary of the Faculty.
      5. Additional nominations as are deemed necessary to provide a representative slate of at least two candidates for each vacancy will be solicited from units until the ballot is complete.
      6. No nomination will be presented to the electorate without written consent of the nominee.
      7. Variations may be approved by the current Executive Committee under the guidance of the Vice Chair.
    4. Elections 
      1. The ballot shall carry the names of the nominees and their departmental affiliations. Each member of the Faculty shall be entitled to vote for a candidate from each electoral group.
      2. The candidate in each electoral group receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared elected. In the event of a tie, the members of the Executive Committee in office at the time of the election shall break the tie by secret ballot; if the committee vote results in a tie, the tie shall be broken by the Dean.
      3. If needed, newly elected members may fill vacancies which occur during the summer months prior to the beginning of their term of office.
    5. Vacancies 
      1. In the event of a vacancy that will extend no longer than one semester, the Executive Committee will elect a faculty member from the electoral group in which the vacancy occurred.
      2. In the event of a vacancy that will extend longer than one semester, a special election to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term will be conducted according to the regular nomination and election procedures specified above (Article VI. Secs. D.3 and D.4).
    6. Attendance at Meetings
      The Executive Committee may authorize attendance at its closed meetings by persons whom it designates or invites.
       
  5. Faculty Appeals Committee 
     
    1. Membership
      1. The Faculty Appeals Committee shall consist of eight members elected for two-year staggered terms by and from the Faculty.
      2. Only tenured members of the faculty holding the rank of Associate Professor and above shall be eligible for election to the Faculty Appeals Committee.
      3. No executive officer of any unit may serve on the Committee.
      4. Each spring semester the Committee will elect a chair from among its continuing members. The Officer of the College who serves as liaison to the Committee will convene the initial meeting for the purpose of electing a chair.
    2. Duties
      1. The Faculty Appeals Committee will consider appeals of personnel decisions, especially in the following areas: rollbacks, promotion and/or tenure, sabbatical leaves, leaves of absence without pay, and terminations.
      2. The Committee will be governed in its operation by the procedural guidelines established by the Faculty.
    3. Nomination and Election
      Members representing even-numbered electoral groups will be elected in odd-numbered years and those from odd-numbered groups will be elected in even-numbered years, members to serve two-year terms beginning January 6 of the year following their election. In case of a vacancy, the candidate from that electoral group with the next highest vote total shall serve for the remainder of the term. In the fall semester, the Secretary of the Faculty will conduct elections for positions that will become vacant in January. The Secretary will call for nominations by petitions signed by at least eight members of the Faculty. If at least two candidates from each group are not thereby produced, the Faculty members of the Nominations Committee will fill out the slates. If after due diligence, the Nominations Committee cannot identify a suitable candidate or candidates from an electoral group, a substitute who is not a member of that group but is qualified to represent that group may be selected. Each member of the Faculty shall be entitled to vote for a candidate from each electoral group.
       
  6. Nominations Committee
    1. Membership
      The Nominations Committee shall consist of eight faculty members elected by the Faculty, one from each electoral group. The Committee shall elect its Chair from among its members.
       
    2. Duties
      1. Prepare slates of candidates for all elections of members of the Faculty or other eligible persons to standing committees of the College.
      2. Advise the Dean on appointments of persons to fill temporary vacancies on standing committees.
      3. Be available for consultation regarding other committee appointments.
      4. Periodically review the size and composition of all standing committees and recommend needed changes to the Faculty.
    3. Nomination and Election
      The Executive Committee shall advise the Dean on candidates for the Nominations Committee. Faculty members shall serve two-year staggered terms. Members representing even-numbered electoral groups shall be elected in even-numbered years and members representing odd-numbered groups in odd-numbered years. The Executive Committee shall present nominations for the elected faculty members of the Nominations Committee in the agenda for the last meeting of the Faculty for the academic year. Additional nominations, with the nominee's consent, may be presented by a petition signed by eight voting members submitted to the Secretary of the Faculty at least three calendar days before the election. Vacancies will be filled by a new election of a member to serve the balance of the original term.
       
  7. Hiring Excellence, Aspiration, and Diversity (HEAD) Advisory Committee
    1. Membership
      1. The HEAD Advisory Committee shall consist of ten executive officers (including school directors) of those LAS units containing tenure-track (TT) faculty members.
      2. The Committee will consist of eight elected members representing each of the college’s eight electoral groups and two additional members appointed by the Dean to ensure disciplinary and other diversity.
      3. The Dean is a member ex-officio and chairs the Committee.
    2. Duties
      The duties of the Committee are to advise the Dean regarding TT search requests and college hiring priorities. The Committee will review unit hiring proposals in consultation with the Associate Deans for the Social and Behavioral Studies and Area Centers, Humanities and Interdisciplinary Programs, Life and Physical Sciences, Research, and Inclusive Excellence.
       
    3. Nomination and Election
      1. The eight elected members will serve staggered three-year terms beginning August 16 of the year they are elected, or until their executive officer term ends, whichever comes first. The two members appointed by the Dean will serve one year terms; these members will be appointed after the election.
      2. Nominations and elections shall be conducted by the Dean’s Office on behalf of the Dean in the spring semester for positions that will become vacant in August.
      3. Mo nomination will be presented to the electorate without written consent of the nominee.
      4. All executive officers of TT-faculty appointed units (including school directors) are eligible to vote for one candidate in electoral groups with vacancies.
    4. Vacancies
      To fill a vacancy of an elected member, an eligible candidate from the same electoral group having the next highest vote shall serve for the remainder of the current academic year. If no eligible candidate remains, a replacement will be appointed by the Dean. Upon the next election, a new member will be elected according to the regular nomination and election procedures specified above.  A vacated appointed member is replaced by the Dean.
       
  8. Standing Committees
    1. The standing committees shall be:
      1. Committee on Academic Standards
      2. Awards Committee
      3. Courses and Curricula Committee
      4. General Education Committee
      5. Honors Council
      6. Policy and Development Committee
    2. Duties
      Each standing committee shall exercise responsibility for matters within its jurisdiction in accordance with the customs and traditions of the College. Each committee shall respond to instructions from the Faculty and requests from the Dean for advice and recommendations, but each committee shall be free to initiate consideration of any matter falling within its jurisdiction.
       
    3. Membership
      Faculty members will normally serve staggered two-year terms. The number of Faculty members on each committee shall be determined by the Faculty on the recommendation of the Nominations Committee. Each standing committee may include up to four members who are Specialized Faculty, Academic Professionals, graduate students, or undergraduate students with full voting rights in the committee. Each committee will elect its own Chair annually. The Dean or a designee shall serve as an ex-officio member of all standing committees.
       
    4. Nominations
      The Nominations Committee will develop a slate of nominees for each standing committee. If possible, the nominees shall be members of the electoral groups they represent. However, if, after due diligence, the Nominations Committee cannot identify a suitable candidate or candidates from an electoral group, a substitute who is not a member of that group but is qualified to represent that group may be selected. In the absence of specific Faculty action, the Committee shall submit slates of candidates representative of the electoral groupings for standing committees without altering the size of any committee. Additional nominations, with the nominees' consent, may be presented by a petition signed by eight voting members submitted to the Secretary of the Faculty at least three calendar days prior to the election.
       
    5. Elections
      1. The Nominations Committee shall present nominations for the Faculty and non-faculty members for each standing committee in the agenda for the last meeting of the Faculty for the academic year.
      2. If the slate is rejected, the Nominations Committee will develop procedures for a contested election.
    6. Vacancies
      Vacancies occurring in the standing committees shall be filled by appointments made by the Dean with the advice of the Nominations Committee; such appointments shall be confirmed by a vote of the Faculty at its next regular meeting.

VII. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the conduct of business by the Faculty in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not in conflict with these Bylaws or with the University Statues.

VIII. AMENDMENT AND REVISION OF BYLAWS

  1. Amendment
    1. Amendments to these Bylaws may be made at any regular meeting of the Faculty by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting, provided that the notice and agenda requirements detailed by Article V, Sections A.4 and A.6 have been met.
    2. Proposals for amendments to these Bylaws may be made by any voting member.
  2. Revision
    At least every 10 years the Dean shall appoint a committee to examine the Bylaws and propose such revisions as seem desirable. The Faculty Parliamentarian shall be invited to participate with the committee.